After months of hinting, BMW have today unveiled their new flagship electric SUV: the BMW iX.
It’s a move that was floated a while back by the car manufacturer, who produced a similar concept model all the way back in 2018 which they called the ‘iNext’. This, however, is the real deal, and is set to go on sale in late 2021.
Aimed squarely at taking on the likes of the Tesla Model X and Mercedes EQS, the BMW iX will be the same size as the X5, though the company says it will also benefit from ‘the dynamism of the BMW X6 and the visual impact of the BMW X7’, Driving Electric reports.
Whereas the recently revealed iX3 retained the same overall aesthetic as it’s petrol predecessor, the iX marks a brand new design direction for the company, which says the new model is ‘the face of a new generation’, and gives us an indication of what we can expect from BMW’s all-electric range going forward. Like it or loathe it, that includes the giant kidney grill.
Powering the iX is BMW’s 5th gen ‘eDrive’ electric powertrain, alongside a 100kWh battery worth around 370 mile of range. With the two electric motors offering 496bhp, BMW says the iX can do 0-62mph in under five seconds.
The battery can also charge at up to 20kW speeds – if you can find a charging point that offers that – which would get you from 10% to 80% juice in less than 40 minutes. A standard 11kW home charger will get the job done easily overnight in 11 hours.
BMW says they’ve gained an extra 40 miles of range through aerodynamic body details alone, including flush door-handles, reduced-size wing mirrors, and adjustable flaps built into the front of the car. Oh and you can also get an extra nine miles added on by upgrading the standard 20-inch alloys to 21 or 22-inch drag-reducing ‘Air Performance’ wheels
The iNext concept was clearly designed with autonomous driving in mind, featuring classic hallmarks like revolving seats and a fold-away steering wheel. There’s none of that here, but BMW does say the iX has 20x more computing power than previous models, with cameras and sensors around the car sure to offer a high level of driver-assistance and collision-avoidance technology.
Looking inside the car, BMW says they’ve adopted a ‘shy tech’ approach to the interior – keeping the on-board technology as unobtrusive as possible – which features a blue suede-look trim and plenty of wood panelling. They’ve also debuted a few other new features, such as a panoramic glass roof, a hexagonal steering wheel, and a large curved display screen.
The BMW iX is expected to enter production mid-2021, with the first deliveries scheduled for later in the year. There’s no official word yet as to how much it will cost, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a fully-specced out version pushing over the £100,000 mark.
